There is nothing like a great label to pull you in. In the group of wines that I received from Idaho, one set stood out from the others. And when you see the label images below you will see why.
These wines are made by Hell’s Canyon Winery, which I will review in a future post. What is really special about these wines is the artwork.
Babette Beatty, Zhoo Zhoo label artist is the original Zhoo Zhoo girl. Born in Berlin in 1941 she spent her young life in Rio de Janeiro before traveling the world as a top fashion model in the 1960s.
Each of these images comes with a little bit of poetic editorial on the back of the bottle:
2006 Chardonnay Reserve “Delphine”
You can’t remember whether it was Ibiza or the Isle of Capri. The only important thing was her, standing in the window, the sea air sweeping sunshine into your room. You can still feel the sand between your toes and her hair between your fingers.
2005 Syrah “Antoinette”
You didn’t speak a word of French, but when she whispered in your ear, you knew exactly what she was saying. Sometimes you wonder if it really happened, or if you just imagined her in a daydream.
2005 Claret “Veronique”
The scent of her perfume was intoxicating; the taste of wine on her lips make you swoon. You had never seen nor touched anything as beautiful as her before, and you never would again.
Of these wines the best was the Claret. For me the Chardonnay was a little buttery and fat, with that strange bitterness that I continue to find in Idaho wines. The Syrah was boring, but not bad. The Claret was rich and bright, very juicy and fleshy with plump blueberries.
Its the images that make it fun though. The writing with them makes it a little hokey, but I can't blame them for going over the top.
